ModernFeed: Is Hulu Killer the Right Term?

For all of you who have been interested in Hulu.com, I highly suggest you check out ModernFeed, which launched today. The site wants you to think of it as a remote control for Web video, and there's an argument to be made that they have.

Here's how it works: the site itself is sort of the opposite of a TV.com or TVGuide.com, where the emphasis is on the content itself, rather than issues surrounding the shows. And what a collection of shows there are: over 1,400, with all the major networks represented, plus a host of smaller sources. Basically, if it's available legally on the Web, you'll find a link to it on ModernFeed. I have a news story going into more detail at PCMag.com.

The short verdict: yes, it just works, as much as the networks themselves make it work. Hulu, of course, runs smoothly. ABC.com, conversely, requires the download and installation of an annoying player application. So it;s not quite the Hulu killer, per se, but a sort of Google for all of the content on the Web.

I did notice the odd choice or two. ModernFeed foregoes the showing of clips, as many of the content sites do. In addition, you won't find the movies Hulu archives on its site listed, either, which ModernFeed chief executive J.D. Heilprin says is a matter of resources.

The question, in my mind, is whether the networks are going to welcome the traffic that ModernFeed is going to push their way, or whether they'll see them as stealing their thunder. There's a good argument for the former: since ModernFeed simply links to the content, leaving the networks' ad feeds intact, the networks' revenue model should remain in place. I think it's somewhat ironic, though, that sites like TV Guide hype the shows without really pushing people toward the content; ModernFeed lacks the resources at the moment to come up with the "Ten Sexiest Hunks on Prime Time"-type content that entertainment sites seem to come up with.

If the networks go for this -- well, what a change a year has brought with it, where content is now ad-supported and embeddable, rather than a treasure to be jealously horded by the content providers.

And the final question: where is Google in all this? YouTube could be tailor-made for this type of venture, but YouTube made the choice to try and lock up the content on its own site, rather than link to it. A critical blunder, as it turns out, but one that Google can easily reverse.

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